View full sizeConstruction at Montevallo Elementary School, as seen on Aug. 19, 2013, is continuing with improvements under way to the front entrance and routes for student drop-off areas. (Martin J. Reed / mreed@al.com)

SHELBY COUNTY, Alabama -- After excessive
rain resulted in a delay in completion over the summer, the new Forest Oaks
Elementary in Chelsea remains under construction with the opening date happening
by Christmastime at the latest, according to the Shelby County Board of Education.

"I can safely say by the semester break that project will
be complete and we'll be moved in," Randy Reeves, the school district's facilities
and maintenance coordinator, said Thursday night.

During his construction report at the Board of Education's
meeting in Columbiana, Reeves said the entire Forest Oaks project is 85 percent
complete. "They're working hard to try to get finished," he said.

"There is a lot of work that has gone on in front of the
school this week," he said, noting work on the road leading to the new 91,000-square-foot
facility.

"We're optimistic and hopeful that project is going to
come together and be finished very soon," Reeves said.

The school district announced in June the new building
would not be ready by the time the academic year starts on Aug. 19. The
district at the time noted rainfall totaling more than 100 inches that
contributed to more than 50 days of lost construction time.

View full sizeConstruction crews continue to work at the Shelby County Board of Education's new Forest Oaks Elementary School in Chelsea on Friday, Sept. 20, 2013. (Photo provided)

Students and faculty have been using Chelsea Intermediate
for their classes since the start of the academic year.

The new school will have 50 classrooms in the building that
will include an electronically controlled access at the main entry. There will
also be a full competition gym, a music classroom, an art suite and a computer
lab.

The school's storm shelter will be able to hold 1,300
people and withstand wind up to 250 miles per hour.

Reeves also briefed the board on other ongoing
construction projects around the district:

Montevallo
Elementary School: The overall project is approximately 75 percent complete.
"The main building being approximately 90 percent complete, the bulk of the
work remains on the new front entrance and foyer area and the admin
renovations," Reeves said.

The project will feature a new secured entrance to the
elementary school, where construction work remains evident in the building's
front area. "It doesn't appear to be affecting our instructional program at
Montevallo Elementary School," Reeves said.

The school will also have a new drop-off area for cars in
the front and a bus area on the side. During the construction, the side of the
building is the car drop-off area.

Montevallo High
School: Renovations and other work to the main facility and the Alice Boyd
building are complete, Reeves said.

Remaining work involves the career tech building, which
will have a new culinary arts unit featuring a kitchen facility. "We had to
have some design and engineering take place actually after we got started.
We're about through with that and actually about ready to start work," Reeves
said.

The work to create a new driveway in front of the school required
a redesign. "We had to go back and identify the need to add some parking in
conjunction with the new front drive," he said, noting that has "delayed the
construction for a few weeks."

Helena High School:
Reeves said there are "no issues with that project at all."

The athletic portion of the new school facility "is well
under way" with the baseball, softball, soccer and band practice fields, he
said. Construction is also happening on the field house structures.

Mt. Laurel Elementary
School: "They're very, very near 100 percent completion there," Reeves
said. Remaining construction includes some exterior work at the school.

Wilsonville Elementary
School: Construction work that includes the media center at the school is
nearing completion. The school will be ready for an open house scheduled for
Nov. 7, Reeves said.